Bengaluru/Koppal: The release of a video clip by Congress MLA Priyank Kharge and former minister Shivraj Thangadagi on the Karnataka PSI scam kicked off a political controversy with fresh demands being made for taking action against BJP Kanakagiri MLA Basavaraja Dadesagura of Koppal district.
Priyank Kharge and Thangadagi released the video, which has gone viral already, at the KPCC office on Queen's Road, Bengaluru. The video clip showed a person, allegedly father of a PSI (police sub inspector) job aspirant, accused the BJP MLA of not returning Rs. 15 lakh that he paid for the PSI job in August 2020.
Kharge asked why no notice was issued and no case was registered against the BJP MLA and why Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai did not even question Dadesagura over the viral video. On his part, former minister Thangadagi said 15 youth from the Kanakagiri Assembly constituency had paid money to get PSI jobs into which the BJP Government should order a probe.
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When the first audio on the PSI recruitment scam went viral, MLA Basavaraja Dadesagura clarified that the voice in the audio is his, but he has not received money from anyone. Now, Parasappa, a retired constable from Kushtagi, has claimed in the video that the MLA took Rs 15 lakh by saying that he would give his son the post of PSI. A total of 30 lakh rupees was negotiated for son's employment. The video in which Parasappa said that he had paid Rs 15 lakh first in the Vidhana Soudha MLA house itself has gone viral.
Later, speaking to the media, Koppal District Congress President Thangadagi said that for the past one week, the audio issue of one of our district MLAs has been making headlines. On September 5, the conversation between MLA Basavaraja Dadesaguru and retired constable Parasappa of Kushtagi went viral. Another audio was released on September 6, in which Parasappa said that he had given Rs 15 lakh for PSI job.
Thangadagi asked why no action was taken against the MLA even after he has admitted that the voice in this audio is his. The Congress leader said Parasappa himself has admitted in the video that when his son wanted to become a PSI, the MLA's close friends promised to help in the matter. In August 2020, Kanakagiri MLA called them to MLA Bhavan. As there is a large number of staff, they were taken in the MLA's car. There a deal was struck for Rs 30 lakhs.
